LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The Arkansas Department of Health says recent tests found no public health risk from chemicals spewed into the air from a fire burning underground at an illegal dumping site in northwest Arkansas.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports air monitoring was conducted Feb. 26-28 to prepare for remediation at the dump near Bella Vista, about 164 miles (264 kilometers) northwest of Little Rock.
The department says air around the dump was monitored for hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide and total volatile organic compounds. Previous testing found the air unhealthy.
The fire is burning deep below the dump, which was shuttered in 2016. The dump was intended for organic debris, but officials say there’s evidence of plastics and metals.
Estimates to clean up the dump range from $15 million to $37 million.
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Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com
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